Date:	Friday 15 December 1961
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	BRNC (Britannia Royal Naval College) Roborough
Registration:	R4918
MSN:	82835
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Plymouth Airport, Roborough, Plymouth, Devon -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Plymouth Airport, Roborough, Plymouth, Devon (PLH/EGHD)
Destination airport:	Plymouth Airport, Roborough, Plymouth, Devon (PLH/EGHD)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth MSN 82835 (Gipsy Major #82684); Taken on charge by the RAF as R4918 at 10 MU RAF Hullavington, Chippenham, Wiltshire 23.2.40. To 1 EFTS RAF Hatfield, Hertfordshire 20.9.40. To 21 EFTS RAF Booker, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire [by 31.12.41]. Crashed 7.5.42 (presumably at RAF Booker); to Lundy & Atlantic Coast for repairs 13.5.42. To 45 MU RAF Kinloss, Morayshire 4.6.42. Returned to 10 MU RAF Hullavington, Wiltshire 21.7.43. To 105 OTU RAF Bramcote, Warwickshire 11.9.43; re-designated 1381 (Transport) Conversion Unit 10.8.45. To 9 MU RAF Cosford. Wolverhamspton, Staffordshire 28.11.45. To 5 MU RAF Kemble, Gloucestershire 12.7.46 for storage.

Transferred to Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm charge 15.10.46 and delivered to AHU (Aircraft Holding Unit) HMS Blackcap, RNAS Stretton, Warrington, Cheshire 16.10.46. To RNARY Donibristle 6.12.47 for repairs/overhaul; returned to AHU RNAS Stretton 5.10.48 and placed into long-term storage. Returned to HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath [4.49-10.49, possibly for use by BRNC Cadets]. To RDU RNAS Culham 24.7.51. To RNAS St Merryn, Cornwall 11.10.51. To RNEC Manadon Station Flight, Roborough, Plymouth, Devon. To HMS Siskin, RNAS Gosport, Hampshire 15.8.52. To RNEC Manadon, Roborough, Plymouth, Devon 13.9.52. Returned to HMS Siskin, RNAS Gosport, Hampshire 21.11.52-15.8.53. To Dartmouth Flight, Roborough 16.9.53. To AHU, HMS Blackcap, RNAS Stretton 10.2.54 for storage.

Damaged in ground collision with Tiger Moth BB852 at AHU RNAS Stretton 5.3.54; engine started unexpectedly while new propeller being fitted. Repaired and returned to service. To Dartmouth Flight, Roborough 12.7.54. Damaged when tyre burst on landing, fuselage twisted 12.9.55 (Lt A R Pearson & Cadet A R Armstrong); aircraft placed in accident category H (heavy damage sub-category not recorded, aircraft was placed in long term storage but was flying again the next year). To HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent 19.9.55 for repairs and long term storage.

To BRNC Dartmouth Cadet Gliding Camp, RNAS Bramcote, Warwickshire 23.7.56 Damaged in crash one mile South of Bramcote, Warwickshire 6.9.56; R4918 failed to gain altitiude while towing glider at RNAS Bramcote, and failed to climb even after releasing the glider. To HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire by road 11.10.56 for repairs [Crew: Lt J G Beyfus & Airman A B Blake].

To HMS Condor RNAS Arbroath 12.3.59, initially for gliding towing duties. Withdrawn from service to storage at RNAS Arbroath 7.12.59. Issued to BRNC Dartmouth Cadet Gliding Camp 4.7.60 from storage at RNAS Arbroath.

On 8.8.60, DeHavilland DH.82A Tiger Moth T.2 R4918 of BRNC (Britannia Royal Naval College) Roborough was substantially damaged when it force-landed and hit a wall at RNAS Arbroath, Tayside [on summer camp]. While undertaking "circuits and bumps" (repeated circuits and landings, followed by immediate take-offs), R4918 sustained an engine failure on the fourth overshoot at RNAS Arbroath, Tayside. Aircraft climbed to 300 feet, force-landed in a field near the airfield, went through a stone wall, and came to a halt in a ditch.

Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed Roborough, Plymouth, Devon 15.12.61. Struck off charge as Cat.5(c) 16.1.62. Wreckage recovered to HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath for components recovery, remains scrapped 1963. Total flying hours on airframe: 1,711.20

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft R1000-R9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1980)
2. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant, Mick Burrow & Lee Howard, Air Britain, 2004 p.91)
3. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p828.html
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Roborough#RNAS_Roborough

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Apr-2014 00:22	Dr. John Smith	Added
12-Dec-2021 23:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]
12-Dec-2021 23:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date]
12-Dec-2021 23:22	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]